


Sometimes It's Stressful

by firecracker189



Series: Link But Smaller [1]
Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Gen, Non-Sexual Age Play, big!rhett, little!link, nsap
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-29
Updated: 2018-12-29
Packaged: 2019-09-29 14:55:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17205494
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/firecracker189/pseuds/firecracker189
Summary: Rhett had thought that this had died off once Link had started seriously dating, and especially then once he'd gotten married and the kids had come along. But apparently Link's mind had other ideas, not that he minded too much. It was just trickier now with their busy schedules and extra people running around. It wasn't just the two of them in a dorm room anymore. And that was fine, it just meant some extra finagling when Link got like this, not that he did all that often.





	Sometimes It's Stressful

**Author's Note:**

> I said I wouldn't do this, but it keeps bugging me ever since I woke up a couple days ago. So here we go. The two least likely people on the planet, i realize. But I mean...
> 
> (also if you want more of this where maybe they figure out a schedule and actually what all this is let me know)

It had been a crazy busy week at the studio--not to mention the St. Jude's campaign that had taken the two of them and the crew to Memphis for a few days. Link had been crankier than normal, but then, weeks that were travel heavy always made him crankier than normal. He hated air travel, and Rhett was fully inclined to agree with him on that front. Wailing kids, turbulence, shitty food, and constipation from altitude. Not exactly a cocktail of wonderfulness. Sometimes a man just wanted his own bed, the woman he loved beside him, and however many kids were crammed in there for the moment. 

Rhett lugged his suitcase up the stairs and heard Link curse loudly as he bumped the wheels of his own bag over his toes for the fifth time that day. "You okay?" it was almost autopilot at this point in life, making sure that Link was okay. But Rhett didn't necessarily mind, after all, Link had successfully parented his own kids so he must have turned out somewhat okay, right? 

"Ran over my freaking toe," Link's answer was near murderous. 

Rhett let them into the shared hotel room and dragged his things towards the farthest bed. "You can have first shower, if it'd help." he offered, hauling his bag onto the mattress to root around for clean clothes. All he wanted was to be finished and to get home to his beautiful wife and bed full of children. And Barbara. 

"Thanks." Even with an injured toe and less dignity than when he'd started the trip, Link still managed to scrape together an expression of gratitude, which was not unappreciated by Rhett. 

He watched as his best friend juggled his toiletry kit and clean clothes into the tiny bathroom, trying not to trip over his own feet as he shut the door with a snap. Rhett shook his head softly and sat down on the edge of his bed to remove his shoes. It was heaven to finally free his feet from those tightly laced shoes. Nothing like cancelled flights to ruin a trip home. They wouldn't be able to get a flight out of Atlanta until the next afternoon, which meant that they'd be arriving home fairly late. He lounged back, exhausted. Might as well make himself comfortable while Link showered off. He listened to Link's off key singing and the sound of the warm water running and smirked softly. The years might change, and like Indiana Jones, they might be feeling the milage, but some things never became different. Some things were constant, and he was lucky to have Link be one of them. That idiot was an indispensable part of his personal and professional life. He hummed along idly to the tune of Brooks and Dunn, eyes closed until startled back open by a yelp. 

"You okay?" Rhett called through the door, on his feet in a moment in case that idiot had done something like slip and break something valuable. "Anything broken?" 

"M'okay," Link's answer was subdued enough for Rhett to be worried about him. 

"What happened?" he cracked the door a little bit. 

"Got shampoo in my eyes," Link sounded so much like Lincoln that Rhett did a double take. He was certain none of Link's kids were along on the trip, though. He peered through the door. It appeared that Link was sitting on the floor of the shower, and that tone of voice immediately had Rhett on Dad High Alert. 

"Oh, well that's fine. Tilt your head back and wash out your eyes," He directed. "I'm going back out here. Holler if you need me." 

Thoughts buzzed through Rhett's head and he sighed softly, pinching at the bridge of his nose. Rhett had thought that this had died off once Link had started seriously dating, and especially then once he'd gotten married and the kids had come along. But apparently Link's mind had other ideas, not that he minded too much. It was just trickier now with their busy schedules and extra people running around. It wasn't just the two of them in a dorm room anymore. And that was fine, it just meant some extra finagling when Link got like this, not that he did all that often. 

Rhett cleared his throat as he heard a few soft whines issue from the bathroom, followed by the water turning off. "You good to go?" He asked, hearing the shower curtain retract. At least for now they could be together for a few hours and maybe he could help Link a bit, so that by the time they got home he wasn't...like this. Rhett didn't even know what to call it, except to say that Link sometimes got so stressed out, at least in the past, that his mind just went into a childlike state for a while. Typically for no longer than a few hours at least, a day at the most, but he was always easy to handle so Rhett wasn't worried. Except that sometimes he'd been known to wet the bed, and Rhett didn't exactly have anything on hand to help with that. But anyway, bridges could be crossed once you got to them. "You come on outta there an' get dressed," Rhett drawled. 

It was a moment before Link passed him, looking downright scrawny and dripping wet in a towel as he scurried past Rhett into the bedroom. He stood beside the bed, looking lost until Rhett laughed quietly. "Where's your clothes, buddyroll?" He shook his head and grabbed Link's clothes off the counter and dropped them on his bed. "Here. You dry off and get dressed. I"m taking a shower, okay? We can talk about what to do for dinner once I'm cleaned up. Sound good?" Link shimmied around and half dried himself off before dropping the towel altogether and tugging on his shirt first. "Alright, that's...that's one way to do it," Rhett decided, avoiding staring at Link as he grabbed his own clean clothes and stepped into the bathroom. "I'll be out in a minute," He called through the door, as he turned the water back on. 

It was heavenly to stand under that warm water and feel the stench and gross recirculated air of the plane melting away. Rhett did his hair twice before finally rinsing and turning off the water. He carefully toweled himself off and sighed softly to himself. The best he could do with Link was to feed him and then to make sure he got in bed a few minutes after that so he wasn't such a beast in the morning. Rhett slid into his lounge wear and opened the door to find Link curled up around a spare pillow, flipping through the television channels offered by the hotel. 

"Whatcha watchin'?" he asked, sitting down by him. Link shrugged. 

"Can't find anything." he thrust the remote at Rhett with an aggrieved expression. "You pick."

Rhett took the remote easily. "Alright. How's Animal Planet sound?" Typically it was something he could get away with his kids watching without too much trauma or inappropriate stuff involved. Link nodded easily.

"Kay. What's this about?" he asked, sounding so small and soft that Rhett had to actually remind himself that his friend was forty instead of five. 

"Uh, looks like it's about dolphins. You like dolphins, Link?" He leaned back against the headboard and stretched out his legs. Link followed him to the top of the bed and curled up at his side, still cuddling that pillow. 

"They're kinda mean," Link ventured softly, watching the dolphins fight off a seal that came too close to their young. 

"Just protecting their kiddos," Rhett pointed out. "If anybody came after my best friend, I think I'd do the same thing," he gave a goofy grin and Link laughed softly. 

"M'not your kid!" he protested. 

"I didn't say that, I said best friend," Rhett agreed, poking Link's nose and making him laugh again. Rhett smiled at him and nodded. "Yep. I'd do just about anything for you I think. But I need you to do something for me. Think you can?" 

Link's eyes went even bigger and more innocent if possible and he nodded eagerly. "What is it?"

"I need you to go to bed for me after this episode is over." 

Link was tempted to pout, but he knew Rhett would be upset if he did. So instead he just hugged his pillow tighter and nodded importantly. "Can do that. But are you gonna go to sleep too?" 

Rhett made a show of yawning widely. "Course I am. I'm exhausted. You must be too." 

Link yawned quietly. "Real sleepy, Rhett." 

"Good. Means you're more likely to have good dreams." Rhett said sagely, all his dad wisdom showing through as he leaned back against the headboard more comfortably. By eight thirty he'd managed to get Link into bed and turn most of the lights off. Hopefully he'd stay cuddled up to that pillow and sleep comfortably for the night. If he was lucky. 

* * *

 

He was  _not_ lucky. A wailing Link woke him up at three am with wet sheets and a very bad dream on his mind. Rhett sat up and turned on the bedside lamp blearily, only vertical for a moment or two before Link was launching himself into Rhett's arms with a whine. 

"It's okay. It's okay, buddy. I gotcha." Rhett mumbled on autopilot, in full kid caring mode now as he held onto Link--how the hell was he carrying this grown man around like it was nothing?-- and stripped Link's bed with the other hand. "Here. You go on and get some clean clothes." he mumbled tiredly, pushing Link in the direction of his suitcase as he dropped the wet sheets into the bathroom floor under the counter. He helped Link get his arms into the right holes of his shirt and into a clean pair of pants and boxers. Link's motor skills had taken a nose dive it seemed, but Rhett was resigned to get them some sleep before they left thank you very much, no matter the cost. "C'mon," he encouraged. "In bed. Good boy." He assured as he curled up tiredly beside Link. "Just go to sleep." 

By the time they woke to Rhett's alarm, Link was completely wrapped around him, and Rhett had his arms around Link's waist. Link had slept peacefully, so Rhett poked his side. "Link. Up and at 'em, buddyroll. Gotta eat somethin' before we catch our plane." 

Link made a series of sounds that were very reminiscent of an angry cat as he peeled away from Rhett. "Sleep," he insisted, and even though it was one syllable, Rhett knew he was back to normal Link. 

"Tough." Rhett told him, sliding out of bed. "Be up by the time I'm out of the bathroom." 


End file.
